The organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has announced that it has filed a lawsuit against Belarus at the International Criminal Court (ICC). RSF has urged Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan to investigate alleged crimes against humanity linked to the unprecedented actions taken by the Belarusian government against journalists. According to RSF, journalists in Belarus face systematic persecution. Since August 2020, nearly 400 journalists have been arbitrarily detained in the country, with 43 still imprisoned. Many reporters have fled to Poland or Lithuania to escape government repression, and RSF asserts that this forced exile constitutes a crime against humanity. Chief Prosecutor Khan was previously urged by the Lithuanian government in September to look into the actions of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko against opposition figures. While preliminary investigations have commenced, Khan's office has indicated that such a request from a member state is insufficient to initiate official investigations. Lukashenko, who is set to seek re-election this Sunday, has maintained a stronghold on power for 30 years, characterized by brutal suppression of dissent. This was particularly evident during the last election in August 2020, which sparked weeks of mass protests against alleged electoral fraud. The leading opposition candidate, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, was forced to leave the country, while her ally, Maria Kolesnikova, remains incarcerated. The European Parliament has called on the international community to reject the outcomes of the upcoming election. RSF commented that the electoral process is likely to proceed without independent media oversight, ensuring Lukashenko's victory over four puppet candidates. Notably, even Lukashenko's political opponents have recently called for his re-election. To bolster his image, the president has granted clemency to several political prisoners in recent months, many of whom were released in poor health. As tensions continue to rise in Belarus, the international community watches closely, awaiting the results of the election and the implications for freedom of the press and human rights in the country.